Pilot vs plane captain

The differences between pilots and plane captains can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a pilot and a plane captain. Additionally, a pilot has an average salary of $83,128, which is higher than the $51,391 average annual salary of a plane captain.

The top three skills for a pilot include PIC, pilot-in-command and flight operations. The most important skills for a plane captain are hand tools, cleanliness, and maintenance manuals.

Pilot vs plane captain overview

	Pilot	Plane Captain
Yearly salary	$83,128	$51,391
Hourly rate	$39.97	$24.71
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	3,049	2,555
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	High School Diploma, 40%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

Pilot vs plane captain salary

Pilots and plane captains have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Pilot	Plane Captain
Average salary	$83,128	$51,391
Salary range	Between $58,000 And $118,000	Between $33,000 And $78,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	-
Highest paying state	California	-
Best paying company	HP	-
Best paying industry	Transportation	-

Differences between pilot and plane captain education

There are a few differences between a pilot and a plane captain in terms of educational background:

	Pilot	Plane Captain
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	High School Diploma, 40%
Most common major	Aviation	Aviation
Most common college	SUNY Farmingdale	SUNY Farmingdale

Pilot vs plane captain demographics

Here are the differences between pilots' and plane captains' demographics:

	Pilot	Plane Captain
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 70.7% Female, 29.3%	Male, 87.6% Female, 12.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 2.7% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.2% Asian, 2.8% White, 81.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 2.6% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 6.7% Asian, 2.7% White, 82.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between pilot and plane captain duties and responsibilities

Pilot example responsibilities.

Pilot company Lear 35 and manage the department.
Manage the UAV payload on the ground and in the air to meet customer expectations.
Serve as a professional pilot managing a flight crew and ensuring safe transportation of VIP's internationally.
Supervise aircraft maintenance activity on P-3C patrol and UH-1N helicopter aircraft.
Transport people and parts to offshore facilities in VFR and IFR conditions
Serve as remote pic and visual observer on a team on various projects involving UAV applications.

Plane captain example responsibilities.

Train, direct, and manage firefighting crews, fire-rescue teams, and damage-control parties.
Lead a platoon that earn numerous awards for jamming opposition force artillery nets and conducting counterattacks on opposition electronic warfare platoons.
Experience operation of FMS, HGS, EFIS & GPS.
Clean exterior or interior of aircraft, using portable platform ladders, brushes, rags, water hose, and vacuum.
Experience in HAZMAT handling and storage.
Conduct FOD inspections of assign aircraft and surrounding areas

Pilot vs plane captain skills

Common pilot skills

PIC, 16%
Pilot-In-Command, 13%
Flight Operations, 8%
ATP, 7%
Helicopter, 5%
Federal Aviation, 5%

Common plane captain skills

Hand Tools, 19%
Cleanliness, 11%
Maintenance Manuals, 7%
FOD, 7%
Hydraulic Systems, 7%
Engine Oil, 6%